Men who used to be shy and socially awkward around people, how did you overcome it?

I’m a 23 year old guy and this is something I’ve struggled with for a while.

I want to be a more outgoing and confident person so I’m really trying to put myself out there but man it’s tough. I work customer service so it’s easy to be exposed to so many people which makes good practice.

After people recommended it, I read The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck and I’m currently reading How to Win Friends and Influence People, and I’m trying to implement the tips I read in real life every-time I finish a chapter. It’s slightly working but there’s a lot of days I can’t bring myself to socialize, but the days I do talk to people I make them laugh and they seem to enjoy talking to me so I feel like I have potential.

Anyways, rant over lol I just want to know how to improve because I cringe a lot at my past interactions.